Schools allowed to ban face veils

Schools will be able to ban pupils from wearing full-face veils on security, safety or learning grounds under new uniforms guidance set to be issued.
In February, a 12-year-old girl failed in her High Court attempt to overturn her Buckinghamshire school's niqab ban.
Ministers promised revised guidance for England taking that into consideration.
It says efforts should be made to accommodate religious clothing but stresses the importance of teachers and pupils being able to make eye contact.

The issue of religious dress has become an increasingly complicated one for schools in recent years, with a handful of high profile cases going to court.
But it is the victory by the Buckinghamshire school, which cannot be named for legal reasons, that has prompted the updated guidance.
The school argued the veil made communication between teachers and pupils difficult and thus hampered learning.
Teachers needed to be able to tell if a pupil was enthusiastic, paying attention or even distressed but full-face veils prevented this, it said.
This position was upheld by the High Court - which refused to grant a judicial review - and is expected to form a key part of the guidance.
Guidance welcomed
Schools need to be able to identify individual pupils in order to maintain good order and to identify intruders, it is expected to say.
"If a pupil's face is obscured for any reason the teacher may not be able to judge their engagement with learning or secure their participation in discussions and practical activities," it adds.
The head teacher of the Buckinghamshire school, who also cannot be named, said it would be very useful to have some clear guidance from the DfES.
"It's not right that schools should have to be arguing this out case by case," she told the BBC News website.
"Obviously there's a trade-off between schools retaining autonomy over school uniform decisions, on the other hand we will have some very clear guidance from the DfES within which to work."
'Equality'
She said she did not regret the school's decision to fight the case.
"We feel very strongly that this was a matter of principle, that there shouldn't be barriers to communication between students and teachers.
"We also feel the young people in our school should be educated on an equal basis and be prepared for their role as adults in a modern society in which we expect there to be equality between men and women."
The Muslim Council of Britain has not yet responded to the guidance, but in a 72-page document released in February the organisation stopped short of endorsing niqabs for girls.
It did, however, urge schools to take into account Muslim pupils' needs to dress modestly and avoid tight-fitting or transparent garments.
Financial hardship
The DfES guidance also instructs schools to be sensitive to the cost implications of their choice of uniform which should be available at high street shops.
A recent letter to all schools from the Office of Fair Trading says they can be prosecuted for engaging in exclusive agreements with specific retailers.
The guidance also reiterates schools' right to discipline pupils for not wearing the proper uniform.
But they should carefully investigate the reasons behind this and be sensitive in cases of financial hardship.

School head explains niqab ban

THE decision to give headteachers the power to ban the Islamic veil from the classroom is common sense.
Children go to school to learn, not to be dragged into a debate that has become a political hot potato. The simplest way of dealing with the issue is to leave it to staff within the school to determine the best course of action. If they feel the veil is getting in the way of kids learning then there should be no alternative - it must be removed. Some Muslim groups have branded the move 'shocking'. One of the most vocal - Massoud Shadjareh, chairman of the Islamic Human Rights Commission - says it infringes Muslims' human rights. But what about the children's right to learn? Surely that must be the first priority? And if wearing a veil is likely to hamper their education then there should be no question as to what is the right thing to do. In another welcome display of common sense, the Government has warned headteachers they face action from the Office of Fair Trading if they impose unfair uniform policies. It comes after an inquiry found compulsory clothing which was only available through one shop was far more expensive than supermarket uniforms. Parents should be encouraged to send their children
to school, not penalised for doing so. An affordable uniform should be the norm at every school.